History Today

Four historians consider the most fundamental question of all, one famously posed by E.H. Carr almost 60 years ago.

Rudy Giuliani’s ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to community policing was rooted not in right-wing talking points, but in the liberal politics of the Civil Rights era.

Views of the afterlife in early Christianity.

The opening of hairdressers and pubs has a strange historical resonance.

Women, non-importation agreements and spinning bees in the American Revolution.

The sinister reach of East Germany’s Ministry for State Security did not end in 1989. According to the British press, the Stasi is still with us.

The Sharp siblings show the power of family to help and support each other towards greatness.

Snobs, bores and triumphs at the Royal Society of Arts.

For centuries, one grossly distorted woodcut defined the ideal of a rare beast.

Eight historians share the books they’ve enjoyed this year and reveal what’s on their ‘to-read’ pile.